Volvo to introduce all electric vehicle in 2019

Nikhil PuthranSunday 23 April 2017, 10:10 AM

In an effort to provide greener and cleaner transportation option, premium automaker Volvo announced its plans to produce its first fully electric vehicle in China at the Shanghai Motor Show. Reports indicate that the new model will be based on Volvo's Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) for smaller cars and is expected to go on sale in 2019. The Chinese facility will be exporting the all-electric vehicle across the global market. Volvo’s decision comes at a time when all major automakers have been working on developing electric technology to offer greener transportation.

By 2025, Volvo plans to sell one million electrified cars globally. The automaker is also developing a fully electric car on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) along with plans to introduce plug-in hybrid versions of every model. The automaker’s decision to introduce the all-electric vehicle in China highlights the country’s government efforts for a cleaner air. The local buyers are however skeptical about going in for electric vehicles due to limitations like low travel range and reliability issues. In an effort to encourage buyers, the Chinese administration is offering a mix of incentives and penalties for global automakers to encourage investments in the country.

Last year, Volvo introduced its first plug-in hybrid vehicle, the XC90 T8 Excellence in India at a price of Rs 1.25 crore (Ex-showroom, Delhi). Under the hood, the vehicle is powered by a 2.0-litre supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine along with a 9.2kWh Lithium-ion battery. The powerful engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission to generate 402bhp of power and 640Nm of torque. Loaded with the most advanced convenience and safety features, the vehicle does emerge as a strong option in its segment.